little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第157章

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'Mr　Dorrit；'　said　Flora；　'you　are　very　kind　in　giving　me　permission　and
highly　natural　it　seems　to　me　that　you　should　be　kind　for　though　more
stately　I　perceive　a　likeness　filled　out　of　course　but　a　likeness　still；
the　object　of　my　intruding　is　my　own　without　the　slightest　consultation
with　any　human　being　and　most　decidedly　not　with　Arthur……pray　excuse　me
Doyce　and　Clennam　I　don't　know　what　I　am　saying　Mr　Clennam　solus……for　to
put　that　individual　linked　by　a　golden　chain　to　a　purple　time　when　all
was　ethereal　out　of　any　anxiety　would　be　worth　to　me　the　ransom　of　a
monarch　not　that　I　have　the　least　idea　how　much　that　would　e　to　but
using　it　as　the　total　of　all　I　have　in　the　world　and　more。'

Mr　Dorrit；　without　greatly　regarding　the　earnestness　of　these　latter
words；　repeated；　'State　your　pleasure；　madam。'

'It's　not　likely　I　well　know；'　said　Flora；　'but　it's　possible　and　being
possible　when　I　had　the　gratification　of　reading　in　the　papers　that　you
had　arrived　from　Italy　and　were　going　back　I　made　up　my　mind　to　try　it
for　you　might　e　across　him　or　hear　something　of　him　and　if　so　what　a
blessing　and　relief　to　all！'

'Allow　me　to　ask；　madam；'　said　Mr　Dorrit；　with　his　ideas　in　wild
confusion；　'to　whom……ha……To　whom；'　he　repeated　it　with　a　raised　voice　in
mere　desperation；　'you　at　present　allude？'

'To　the　foreigner　from　Italy　who　disappeared　in　the　City　as　no　doubt　you
have　read　in　the　papers　equally　with　myself；'　said　Flora；　'not　referring
to　private　sources　by　the　name　of　Pancks　from　which　one　gathers　what
dreadfully　ill…natured　things　some　people　are　wicked　enough　to　whisper
most　likely　judging　others　by　themselves　and　what　the　uneasiness
and　indignation　of　Arthur……quite　unable　to　overe　it　Doyce　and
Clennam……cannot　fail　to　be。'

It　happened；　fortunately　for　the　elucidation　of　any　intelligible　result；
that　Mr　Dorrit　had　heard　or　read　nothing　about　the　matter。　This
caused　Mrs　Finching；　with　many　apologies　for　being　in　great　practical
difficulties　as　to　finding　the　way　to　her　pocket　among　the　stripes　of
her　dress　at　length　to　produce　a　police　handbill；　setting　forth　that
a　foreign　gentleman　of　the　name　of　Blandois；　last　from　Venice；　had
unaccountably　disappeared　on　such　a　night　in　such　a　part　of　the　city　of
London；　that　he　was　known　to　have　entered　such　a　house；　at　such　an　hour；
that　he　was　stated　by　the　inmates　of　that　house　to　have　left　it；　about
so　many　minutes　before　midnight；　and　that　he　had　never　been　beheld
since。　This；　with　exact　particulars　of　time　and　locality；　and　with
a　good　detailed　description　of　the　foreign　gentleman　who　had　so
mysteriously　vanished；　Mr　Dorrit　read　at　large。

'Blandois！'　said　Mr　Dorrit。　'Venice！　And　this　description！　I　know　this
gentleman。　He　has　been　in　my　house。　He　is　intimately　acquainted　with　a
gentleman　of　good　family　（but　in　indifferent　circumstances）；　of　whom　I
am　a……hum……patron。'

'Then　my　humble　and　pressing　entreaty　is　the　more；'　said　Flora；　'that
in　travelling　back　you　will　have　the　kindness　to　look　for　this　foreign
gentleman　along　all　the　roads　and　up　and　down　all　the　turnings　and　to
make　inquiries　for　him　at　all　the　hotels　and　orange…trees　and　vineyards
and　volcanoes　and　places　for　he　must　be　somewhere　and　why　doesn't　he
e　forward　and　say　he's　there　and　clear　all　parties　up？'

'Pray；　madam；'　said　Mr　Dorrit；　referring　to　the　handbill　again；　'who　is
Clennam　and　Co。？　Ha。　I　see　the　name　mentioned　here；　in　connection　with
the　occupation　of　the　house　which　Monsieur　Blandois　was　seen　to
enter：　who　is　Clennam　and　Co。？　Is　it　the　individual　of　whom　I　had
formerly……hum……some……ha……slight　transitory　knowledge；　and　to　whom　I
believe　you　have　referred？　Is　it……ha……that　person？'

'It's　a　very　different　person　indeed；'　replied　Flora；　'with　no　limbs　and
wheels　instead　and　the　grimmest　of　women　though　his　mother。'

'Clennam　and　Co。　a……hum……a　mother！'　exclaimed　Mr　Dorrit。

'And　an　old　man　besides；'　said　Flora。

Mr　Dorrit　looked　as　if　he　must　immediately　be　driven　out　of　his　mind
by　this　account。　Neither　was　it　rendered　more　favourable　to　sanity　by
Flora's　dashing　into　a　rapid　analysis　of　Mr　Flintwinch's　cravat；　and
describing　him；　without　the　lightest　boundary　line　of　separation　between
his　identity　and　Mrs　Clennam's；　as　a　rusty　screw　in　gaiters。　Which
pound　of　man　and　woman；　no　limbs；　wheels；　rusty　screw；　grimness；　and
gaiters；　so　pletely　stupefied　Mr　Dorrit；　that　he　was　a　spectacle　to
be　pitied。　'But　I　would　not　detain　you　one　moment　longer；'　said　Flora；
upon　whom　his　condition　wrought　its　effect；　though　she　was　quite
unconscious　of　having　produced　it；　'if　you　would　have　the　goodness　to
give　your　promise　as　a　gentleman　that　both　in　going　back　to　Italy　and
in　Italy　too　you　would　look　for　this　Mr　Blandois　high　and　low　and　if
you　found　or　heard　of　him　make　him　e　forward　for　the　clearing　of
all　parties。'　By　that　time　Mr　Dorrit　had　so　far　recovered　from　his
bewilderment；　as　to　be　able　to　say；　in　a　tolerably　connected　manner；
that　he　should　consider　that　his　duty。　Flora　was　delighted　with　her
success；　and　rose　to　take　her　leave。

'With　a　million　thanks；'　said　she；　'and　my　address　upon　my　card　in　case
of　anything　to　be　municated　personally；　I　will　not　send　my　love　to
the　dear　little　thing　for　it　might　not　be　acceptable；　and　indeed　there
is　no　dear　little　thing　left　in　the　transformation　so　why　do　it　but
both　myself　and　Mr　F。's　Aunt　ever　wish　her　well　and　lay　no　claim　to　any
favour　on　our　side　you　may　be　sure　of　that　but　quite　the　other　way　for
what　she　undertook　to　do　she　did　and　that　is　more　than　a　great　many　of
us　do；　not　to　say　anything　of　her　doing　it　as　Well　as　it　could　be
done　and　I　myself　am　one　of　them　for　I　have　said　ever　since　I　began　to
recover　the　blow　of　Mr　F's　death　that　I　would　learn　the　Organ　of　which
I　am　extremely　fond　but　of　which　I　am　ashamed　to　say　I　do　not　yet　know　a
note；　good　evening！'

When　Mr　Dorrit；　who　attended　her　to　the　room…door；　had　had　a　little　time
to　collect　his　senses；　he　found　that　the　interview　had　summoned　back
discarded　reminiscences　which　jarred　with　the　Merdle　dinner…table。
He　wrote　and　sent　off　a　brief　note　excusing　himself　for　that　day；　and
ordered　dinner　presently　in　his　own　rooms　at　the　hotel。　He　had　another
reason　for　this。　His　time　in　London　was　very　nearly　out；　and　was
anticipated　by　engagements；　his　plans　were　made　for　returning；　and　he
thought　it　behoved　his　importance　to　pursue　some　direct　inquiry　into　the
Blandois　disappearance；　and　be　in　a　condition　to　carry　back　to　Mr
Henry　Gowan　the　result　of　his　own　personal　investigation。　He　therefore
resolved　that　he　would　take　advantage　of　that　evening's　freedom　to　go
down　to　Clennam　and　Co。's；　easily　to　be　found　by　the　direction　set　forth
in　the　handbill；　and　see　the　place；　and　ask　a　question　or　two　there
himself。

Having　dined　as　plainly　as　the　establishment　and　the　Courier　would　let
him；　and　having　taken　a　short　sleep　by　the　fire　for　his　better　recovery
from　Mrs　Finching；　he　set　out　in　a　hackney…cabriolet　alone。　The　deep
bell　of　St　Paul's　was　striking　nine　as　he　passed　under　the　shadow　of
Temple　Bar；　headless　and　forlorn　in　these　degenerate　days。

As　he　approached　his　destination　through　the　by…streets　and　water…side
ways；　that　part　of　London　seemed　to　him　an　uglier　spot　at　such　an　hour
than　he　had　ever　supposed　it　to　be。　Many　long　years　had　passed　since　he
had　seen　it；　he　had　never　known　much　of　it；　and　it　wore　a　mysterious　and
dismal　aspect　in　his　eyes。　So　powerfully　was　his　imagination　impressed
by　it；　that　when　his　driver　stopped；　after　having　asked　the　way　more
than　once；　and　said　to　the　best　of　his　belief　this　was　the　gateway　they
wanted；　Mr　Dorrit　stood　hesitating；　with　the　coach…door　in　his　hand；
half　afraid　of　the　dark　look　of　the　place。

Truly；　it　looked　as　gloomy　that　night　as　even　it　had　ever　looked。　Two　of
the　handbills　were　posted　on　the　entrance　wall；　one　on　either　side；　and
as　the　lamp　flickered　in　the　night　air；　shadows　passed　over　them；　not
unlike　the　shadows　of　fingers　following　the　lines。　A　watch　was　evidently
kept　upon　the　place。　As　Mr　Dorrit　paused；　a　man　passed　in　from　over　the
way；　and　another　man　passed　out　from　some　dark　corner　within；　and　both
looked　at　him　in　passing；　and　both　remained　standing　about。

As　there　was　only　one　house　in　the　enclosure；　there　was　no　room　for
uncertainty；　so　he　went　up　the　steps　of　that　house　and　knocked。　There
was　a　dim　light　in　two　windows　on　the　first…floor。　The　door　gave　back
a　dreary；　vacant　sound；　as　though　the　house　were　empty；　but　it　was　not；
for　a　light　was　visible；　and　a　step　was　audible；　almost　directly。　They
both　came　to　the　door；　and　a　chain　grated；　and　a　woman　with　her　apron
thrown　over　her　face　and　head　stood　in　the　aperture。

'Who　is　it？'　said　the　woman。

Mr　Dorrit；　much　amazed　by　this　appearance；　replied　that　he　was　from
Italy；　and　that　he　wished　to　ask　a　question　relative　to　the　missing
person；　whom　he　knew。

'Hi！'　cried　the　woman；　raising　a　cracked　voice。　'Jeremiah！'

Upon　this；　a　dry　old　man　appeared；　whom　Mr　Dorrit　thought　he　identified
by　his　gaiters；　as　the　rusty　screw。　The　woman　was　Under　apprehensions
of　the　dry　old　man；　for　she　whisked　her　apron　away　as　he　approached；　and
disclosed　a　pale　a